BOOK III: A Knight's Tale
by FarmerBill
Summary: Raiko fights on alongside new faces and familiar allies. The Dark Side grows stronger, as does her connection to the emotional Force. The two are battles she cannot think to win.
1. Prologue

**_"Change your stars and live a better life than I have." – A Knight's Tale, Brian Helgeland_**

_Once upon a time, things made sense. There was right and wrong, love and hate. _

_She didn't know when the lines between these things began to blur – only that every time they wore down, she could trace it to the unexplainable violence of the war that seemed endless. _

_At night, it seemed the only way she could sleep was to avoid her feelings. They grew stronger by the day, by the hour. It was the nature of forbidden things, to grow the more you ignored them. Of course, how was she – or either of them, for that matter – to know that. They were children playing grownups, peace-keepers pretending to be warriors. There the lines blurred too, because soon it became hard to distance herself from that cold, savage part of her – the part that craved the fight._

_Perhaps that was why she craved him. _

_He was a fight too – each time she turned from him, a battle within itself._

_Her Knight's Tale seemed to be growing more tragic by the act – and all she could do was watch it unfold helplessly. _


	2. Chapter 1

It was just a supply run – now that the command ship for the blockade around Christophsis was destroyed, the rest of the Separatist fleet was easy pickings for the Republic ships already there – but Raiko still felt a twinge of nerves in her stomach.

Her battalion were good. She would say the best – but that was because she was hopelessly biased for her men – at what they did. They were primarily an attack reinforcement unit, and they'd already assisted in a few defences, coming to the aid of larger legions. It was because they were on the smaller side for a battalion, but she could say with total honesty that she believed her men were the fiercest fighters out there. Jest would say it was because they were all just following 'her crazy-shebs attitude,' but she also believed they were braver than they gave themselves credit for.

Which is why it made her a little suspicious of their supply run. Given the current state of Christophsis, she would have assumed they'd be needed first and foremost for reinforcement.

Either way, she was just happy she was going to see Anakin and Obi-Wan – even if it was on a battlefield.

* * *

"Sir, we're coming out of hyperspace now." One of his sergeants called his attention.

Clay nodded to the trooper sitting at the controls and looked to Sergeant Jive. "Would you send a transmission to General Kenobi and tell him we're arriving. Request a rendezvous point for planet side landing. I don't fancy touching down in Seppie territory."

"Yes, Captain." Jive gave him a quick salute, and turned to the comm channel controls.

Even after a few months of being referred to as Captain, it still felt strange. He was trained for command – and thought he did alright at it – but the fact that other clones had to defer to him was always a weird feeling. He almost laughed at himself. He was beginning to sound like his General – who he suspected was actually allergic to rank and protocol, much to his occasional dismay and Stix's constant horror.

He could hear her approaching him now, his first clue her brilliant laughter. It seemed to precede her everywhere. It had been grating at first – unsettling to him and many others, who were used to the cold of Kaminoans and the calmness of Jedi. Now, it was worrying to experience her sombre.

"Morning, everyone – or, uh, afternoon local time." The troopers within earshot raised their hands in greeting. Placated, she turned her full attention on him. "Did you sleep well, Clay?" He turned to salute her at her beaming greeting, smiling behind his helmet at her displeased nose wrinkle. Her constant morning greetings had taken some time to get used to as well.

"Slept just as well as usual, General. We're approaching landing soon." He said, and she nodded, peering over his shoulder at the controls. "Stix has asked me to, uh, _gently_ remind you to sign off on the final supply stocktake."

Raiko sighed, closing her eyes for a second. "Didn't I do that already, Clay?" she asked, sounding more amused than irritated. He unsealed his bucket as his internal comm began to buzz, Stix trying to call him from across the control room, from where he was watching the pair of them whilst pretending to read a report.

He raised an eyebrow at his Lieutenant. Stix ducked his helmeted head behind his holopad. Raiko huffed a faint laugh. "I believe that was the preliminary check – not the final. It would just make him a little calmer if you did." He said mildly.

Jest leant over from where he had been eavesdropping beside the pilot. Clay rolled his eyes at his smirk. "He's nervous about the rendezvous with the 501st and the 212th. He just wants to make a good impression, General. You know how he is."

Raiko's smile turned a little sad. "I wish he would just talk to me about it." Clay resisted the urge to tell her that Stix would probably shoot himself in the foot with his blaster before breaking protocol to approach his superior about his _feelings_. But as she made grabby hands at his holopad, he decided to take pity on both of them.

"I don't have it, General," he lied easily, "Stix will have it, if you want to go ask."

Raiko looked mollified, and a little happier, even if it meant she had to go all the way across the flight deck. Jest chuckled. "You're a big fekking liar… Sir." He added as an afterthought, and Clay rolled his eyes again.

"It'll keep them both occupied until we land." As he spoke, he watched as Stix stood up, shoulders already a little more relaxed, as he lead the General from the flight deck, presumably to go look over the supplies in person. Clay had perfected the art of directing – he may have been a GAR Captain, but he was also the galaxy's foremost expert in people-managing, with Raiko and Stix both examples of polar-opposite-but-still-difficult-to-manage people.

"We've got landing coordinates, Captain, and advice for a quick landing – apparently there's some trouble in space. The last of Kenobi's fleet is staying behind to manage the situation whilst we slip through." Jive reported.

"Understood, Sergeant." Clay shifted aside thoughts of his odd companions, and turned his attention back to task at hand. Ahead, he could indeed see the occasional burst of laser cannons, both red and blue. "Chuff," he addressed the pilot, "Let's make it quick and clean, max shields, zero engagement. We need to get straight to the surface."

"Yessir!" the pilot said, and turned to address his co-pilots. Clay folded his arms across his chest, mind wandering again as they approached the small skirmish.

* * *

"Just start unpacking, guys – Stix and Jive have gone ahead to start setting up our offload site." Raiko called to the troopers below her, from where she stood on top of the pile of crates holding the precious supplies. Army rations weren't exactly gourmet food, but from what she could tell just from looking at the civilians that had come to greet them, it would be more than welcome. "Lopp, you take the lead here, Corporal. Radio the Lieutenant when you're ready to start transportation." She winked at the ranking trooper, who gave her a salute.

"Yes, General. Let's get going, boys." He called to the others. They set about at once. She watched them in satisfaction for a moment – as always, impressed by their uniform efficiency.

"General Omari." The clone addressing her from outside the ship's cargo doors wasn't one of her own battalion. She didn't recognize his Force signature, and the blue decorative patches on his armour were unfamiliar. He saluted her. "Sergeant Appo, of the 501st. I've been sent to escort you to Generals Skywalker and Kenobi."

"Ah." She said, and jumped. To his credit, he didn't flinch as she landed close to him, making almost no noise. "Let me just radio my Captain. He'll probably want to coordinate with the other officers."

"Of course, sir – sorry – I mean, ma'am-" Appo coughed awkwardly, and Raiko just smiled, lifting her wristcomm to contact Clay. That particular tic had been a little harder to shake, and there were still a few troopers that accidentally called her sir. It was more than a little amusing to see how male-centric their training had been.

"_General?"_ Clay's figure appeared, his helmet off. She smiled at the sight of him, at his now-familiar undercut and scar over his left eyebrow. Another relic of Geonosis. She had her own scars.

"Hey, Clay. We've got an escort to Anakin and Obi-Wan, how exciting, right?" she said without preamble. He didn't bat an eyelash, just nodded, and handed whatever he was holding to someone out of frame.

"_On my way, General."_ He signed off.

Raiko could feel Appo's equal part astounded and curious attention focus on their interaction. She turned to him. "What are the conditions like, Sergeant?" she asked him, hoping to distract him slightly.

His energy turned more serious again. "Not great, si- ma'am." He said, shaking his head. "The Seppies are getting bolder. They keep pushing and pushing. I hope that with your help, General, we'll be able to gain back some ground – but it's like they know what we're planning before we do it." He sounded more than a little upset – and even from his vague description Raiko knew that she would have to prepare herself to face the chaos from the lengthy battle.

She could feel Clay approaching, his attention focussed mostly on her, with a faint curiosity she assumed was for Appo. He nodded to the trooper as Appo saluted him. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, Sergeant."

"No, sir. General Omari kept me talking." Appo said, turning to lead their way out of the landing bay. Raiko met Clay's slightly suspicious gaze with an innocent look, hoping she was transmitting '_I didn't do anything weird, don't worry!' _At the way he turned back to surveying the area, Raiko assumed the message had gotten through.

Her excitement was rising.

She could feel them, their energies getting stronger the closer they got to the base's control centre.

* * *

Anakin could feel his friend before she had even stepped foot inside of the command centre. Exchanging an amused look with Obi-Wan, he turned to face the door, as it opened with a faint hiss, revealing the forms of Appo, a clone captain, and the recognizable form of his oldest friend.

"Raiko." He said, and stepped forwards to greet her. Without preamble, she threw her arms around his neck – making some of his own troops shift slightly. He could feel their confusion. Withdrawing, he tugged her hair. He liked it short. "Nice haircut." He told her, smile growing at the simple joy that was refracting between the two of them, vibrating through their Force bond.

"Thanks. You should try it. You look like a hermit-nerf herder." She said, and nudged him aside with a well-placed jab to the ribs that made him huff out a laugh. Obi-Wan was watching her already, his face in its customary disapproving mask, arms folded. But Anakin and Raiko – who knew him well enough – could see the obvious pleased twinkle in his eyes. "General Kenobi." She bowed to him. "You're looking… distinguished, as usual."

"And you're as incorrigible as ever, Raiko. It's good to see you." He said, dropping his arms and smiling slightly, even as his face grew serious. His eyes went to the battle display, and Anakin felt his own mood shift at the reminder of their more pressing issues. "We'll need your help with this one – I know you were sent for a supply delivery, but with our forces engaged in the skirmish which is growing by the minute…"

Raiko shook her head, leaning over the display. "We're happy to help. I figured we'd be needed anyway. My Lieutenant made sure we were ready for either possibility, so we can get here ready whenever you need us." Anakin didn't miss the constant inclusive inflictions to her speech. It was clear she had bonded with her battalion.

"You certainly have an efficient Lieutenant." Obi-Wan said, looking relieved.

Raiko grinned. "You have _no_ idea." She turned then, and exchanged a look with the clone captain. He'd replaced his helmet, but even Anakin could sense his attention and how it centred on his friend. _Interesting_. "Clay – would you contact Stix, and let him know to direct troops helping with offloading straight to base?"

"On it, General." The captain – Clay – responded with a nod. Anakin turned to Rex, who had been standing patiently on the other side of the diagram.

"Rex – would you get someone to coordinate with Captain Clay, and make sure the 313th are taken care of?" He asked. This would be an opportunity for him to integrate his and Raiko's forces a little smoother _and _get someone to get a read on the clone captain.

"Yessir." Rex threw him a salute, and turned to his fellow clone with a nod – obviously switching to internal mics, as the pair left the room together. Anakin also didn't miss the way Raiko's eyes followed Clay out.

Obi-Wan ran a hand over his face. "And now to the next item." Raiko hummed curiously, and Obi-Wan looked to him blearily, "Anakin, would explain your suicide mission to Raiko?"

Anakin felt a jolt of indignation run through him, and he propped a hand on his hip – jabbing a finger at the diagram of the two towers before them. "It's not a suicide mission, it's an _ambush_!"

* * *

Despite Obi-Wan's reluctance, Raiko found herself and a few of her men inside one of the towers with Anakin and a handful of the 501st.

"_Raiko_." Obi-Wan's voice drew her attention, and she gestured Anakin to her. "_How are you two doing over there?"_

Anakin smirked slightly, turning to his own Captain, whom Raiko had introduced herself to – and who seemed to know far too much about her. "We're set." Her friend said. "I've got some guys here, who are anxious to get going."

Raiko could feel Clay on the other side of the room, leaning against their cannons. He had been talking to one of Rex's sergeants and one of his corporals since they'd left base. Raiko hadn't felt him so happy. He must have known them somehow, because they were laughing and joking familiarly. "_Glad to hear it." _Obi-Wan signed off with a beep, and Anakin turned to her, and she looked away from her captain to meet his eyes.

"Ready, Rai?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice. "I know this is a little different from your usual mission, but I relish the thought of teaching you a thing or two."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Keep dreaming, _master_ Skywalker – as if the 313 haven't done an ambush before! I can't wait to teach _you_ how _we_ do it, young one." She drew herself up haughtily.

"Yeah, yeah. We get it, you're a grandma." Anakin rolled his eyes at her, and she gasped scandalized.

"I am literally _six-months older!" _

Anakin shrugged, and she grumbled, turning away from him to peer out of the tower window. They were close enough that, if she squinted, she thought she could see Obi-Wan in the other tower. She pulled a face through the glass, hoping he could see it.

In the distance, she could hear the marching of the hundreds of metal feet. _They were getting close_.

"I can see a full battalion coming, right on schedule." One of her men said, peering through a pair of binoculars.

"Nervous?" She asked him lightly. He turned to smile at her. From the chip in his front tooth, she recognised him as Ed, one of her snipers.

"Never, General." He said brightly, and she grinned.

"That's the spirit, Eddy." She said lightly. He went back to the binoculars and for a moment everything was quiet again.

"Wait!" he cried suddenly, drawing Anakin, Rex and her own attention. "They're splitting up – something's not right-" The leap of Obi-Wan's panic in her own chest made her gasp – turning to the other tower.

"Anakin!" she cried, pointing wordlessly at the sight of blaster fire in the other tower.

Anakin cursed, lifting his comm to his mouth. "Obi-Wan – what's going on?!"

_"The droids are on to us!" _Obi-Wan's voice came back quickly, and he sounded the most uncomposed Raiko had ever heard.

"Gunship – come in." Anakin radioed his transport team, and Raiko did the same, contacting her pilots. "Raiko, send them to South tower." He said tersely. Raiko complied easily.

"Chuff – send evac to the towers, we've been compromised. South tower." Her gaze met Clay's concerned eyes. Without a word, he put his helmet on, crossing the room to her.

"_Copy that, General." _Chuff's voice came back with a faint crackle as Clay reached her.

His steady presence calmed her, and she took a second of selfish comfort in the familiarity of him. Behind her, Anakin blasted his way through the pane of thick glass. It was the sudden rush of wind that made her realise what he had planned.

"Cables, boys!" Rex cried, and in a uniform line, the troopers fired their grappling hooks across the void. Raiko toed her way to the edge, as the clones began to cross. As always, Clay was waiting patiently for her.

"General." He said, and held out his arm. Swallowing a little nervously, Raiko stepped into his one-armed embrace, locking her arms around his neck, and keeping her gaze fixed firmly on his visor. "Close your eyes." He said gently. Obediently, Raiko did so.

Clay stepped off the edge.

The sudden drop in her stomach from the second of gravity clutching at her was enough to make Raiko shove her face into Clay's armour-plated chest. His arm around her tightened, and though she knew he wouldn't drop her, the reminder of the security of his hold was comforting. It wasn't that she was _afraid_ of heights, per-say, more so the sheer drop.

"Coming in for landing, General." Clay's voice was tense again, and Raiko focussed on the approaching laser fire she could hear over the rush of wind. There was a scream from near her, and blaster fire around them, but she didn't dare open her eyes, not until she felt solid ground under her feet, trusting Clay to keep them steady.

Clay landed first with a thump, and she released him, rolling forwards and igniting her saber as she stood. Clay was already opening fire through the gap into the next room, where she could see the blue blades of Obi-Wan and Anakin. She didn't have to say anything, Clay falling in close behind her as she advanced, deflecting bolts from both of them.

"How did you get in here?" she heard Obi-Wan ask as she approached them.

Raiko made her presence known, deflecting a stray bolt from Obi-Wan, and smiling at him. "He jumped out of a window!" she said, making Anakin scowl.

"I _improvised!"_ he retorted, and Obi-Wan snorted, turning to one of their abandoned canons, and lifting it, sending it hurtling towards the next lot of droid – giving them a second to retreat, running for the elevator.

Raiko scanned the clones crowded in the elevator with them – nothing the obvious reduction in number. Thankfully she could still see all her men, the little patches of purple on their shoulders indicators of the 313. Clay was still by her, looming slightly behind her. At least – in this sudden upheaval of their plans, the sudden chaos, he was still constant.

They ran from the elevator, out onto the roof – the wind picking up her loose hair and sweeping it around dramatically. They didn't even have a second to plan, as one of the elevators opened again, and more droids appeared, firing at them.

This time, Raiko was ready.

She ran, quicker than before, lightsaber before her.

_This_, she could do, _this_, she was unafraid of, _this_, was what she was good at. With a neat swing, the first of the droids fell before her, and she danced around its falling body, flipping over the other two, and sweeping her blade behind her, turning them to scrap. As she engaged the others, the second elevator opened, revealing another swarm of droids, led by a command droid. But Anakin and Obi-Wan were already there, lightsabers joining her own.

They weren't enough, and Raiko knew it, but the whirring of transport engines provided an escape, as their two transport ships appeared, opening their doors on the edge of the roof. Raiko turned quickly, shooting a glance back to make sure that the troopers were retreating.

Turning back to the onslaught of laser fire, she began to move backwards, keeping her saber in constant motion, unwillingly to rest in favour of keeping her and her men's defence going. It was the cry of a clone that distracted her, but it was wholly her own fault when she sheathed her saber in favour of dropping beside Corporal Lopp's fallen body. He was still alive, and so she stooped.

"_Raiko, leave him!" _Clay's voice in her ear didn't deter her, and she stood, steadying Lopp with one arm and hurrying towards the gunship, half-dragging the weakening man.

She probably shouldn't have been surprised to feel the sudden blazing pain in her back, the laser shot sending her pitching forwards, over the gap and into the ship.

Eyes drifting shut, Raiko smiled as she heard Lopp's gasping breath. Clay's face appeared in her vision. He was speaking, scowling at her.

She couldn't make out the words.


	3. Chapter 2

Clay frowned as he watched his unconscious General twitch in the bacta tank.

_Idiot._

She had been shot twice, once in her thigh, and the other shot only an inch from her spine; an inch from ending her life, or paralysing her completely. Lopp was in the cot in the next room over. Clay had checked on him before he'd come to see Raiko. He was fine, a little sheepish, but would need a few months recovery before he could get back on duty again due to the damage to his arm and shoulder.

Raiko's recovery time on the other hand, was uncertain. She was a Jedi – and Clay had seen them heal themselves quickly, but then again, Clay would have had to have been blind not to see that his General – whilst more than proficient on the field – wasn't particularly Force adept. He could only hope for a speedy recovery. An hour or so in the tank would help too.

Here, he could see the scar on her rib-cage from where the piece of shrapnel had struck her and the blaster scar on her calf from Geonosis, and another series of burn marks across her forearm she'd had since before he'd known her, and the scratch on her left hand she'd gotten from attempting to fish a slice of toast out of a broken toaster on the journey to Christophsis. He practically knew every inch of her.

And that was why he couldn't ignore the growing anger he felt the longer he looked at her face, so young in sleep. _Someone_ had done this. _Someone_ had told the enemy their plans and had effectively injured _his_ General. Possessive pronoun intended.

"Captain?" His fellow Captain's voice from the doorway made him turn. Rex had the command droid's head under his arm. His eyes went to Raiko's form. "She's certainly got a set of shebs."

Clay nodded. "The General can certainly be a handful. No more than Skywalker can be, so I hear."

Rex sighed. "You got that right. They must have encouraged each other."

Right. Skywalker and Raiko had been friends for… well, longer than he'd been alive. Clay smiled slightly, uncomfortably. He nodded to the droid head. "Souvenir?" he asked, changing the subject.

Rex chuckled darkly. "Cody and I reckon we might be able to get some info off it. Wanna join?"

Clay shot another look at Raiko's wounds. "Fek yeah. Let's crack the sucker." Rex grinned, and turned to open the door for them.

* * *

Rex jammed the connection cable into the droid's head, and with a dull flicker, a hologram of the towers appeared on the projection table.

Clay raised an eyebrow.

_"The Republic army is in the north and south towers, level 46." _The metallic voice of the droid came out of its speakers.

"How the hell did it know that?" Clay muttered.

Rex scowled. "It just doesn't make sense." Distorted, the head began to crackle and smoke as the voice box wound down. With a final spark, the head went dead. "Blast!" Rex swore, curling over the thing, and glowering at it, as if the sheer force of his frustration would get it to work again.

"At least we're not the only ones having a bad day." Anakin Skywalker's voice made all three command clones turn as Kenobi and Skywalker approached.

"Generals." Cody said in greeting. The scarred Commander looked worried. "It had all our intel."

Skywalker folded his arms. "That would explain the ambush. How could we have left ourselves so vulnerable to a security breach?" he questioned angrily.

Clay cleared his throat. "I don't think we did, sir." He said quietly, voicing his suspicion.

Skywalker and Kenobi turned their eyes on him. "You think someone infiltrated our defences, Captain?" Kenobi asked curiously.

"Maybe. It would have to be someone resourceful enough to gain access." Clay said.

"But that still wouldn't explain how they got our intel." Skywalker said, and Clay resisted the urge to snort. How did he not understand what Clay was getting at?

Thankfully, Kenobi seemed a little more alert. "You're right. But they wouldn't act alone, Anakin." Kenobi narrowed his eyes. "They'd have someone working for them."

"A spy, sir?" Cody asked, "But… who would want to betray our troops to the seppies?"

"Excellent question, Commander." Kenobi said, with only a hint of condescension in his tone. Clay figured that was just how the man spoke. He turned to Skywalker. "Perhaps it's time we make a trip behind enemy lines. I think we'll find our answers there. Commander, Captains, we'll need you here to find the security breach."

"You can count on us, sir." Cody said immediately, almost eagerly.

"One more thing," Kenobi said, leaning forwards slightly. "This mission is extremely confidential. The spy could be anyone; let no one know of our mission."

"Understood, sir." Rex saluted crisply.

Skywalker's eyes fell on Clay. There was none of that faint soft feeling he sometimes got when Raiko stared at him, but all the same, the weight of his gaze felt heavy in an odd, otherworldly way. "General Omari will need to be protected now, too. If the spy is here, and learns that we're gone, they may try to take advantage of her weakened state. Can I count on you?" the other men responded with another affirmative, but Clay knew the question was directed to him.

"I'll keep my General safe, sir. You can trust in that." He said quietly, saluting the man. Kenobi tilted his head curiously, but Skywalker looked inordinately pleased.

"Excellent. Good luck, gentlemen." With a nod, Skywalker and Kenobi turned to go, leaving the clones alone in the control centre. Clay moved to check his holocom, checking for any messages from his men still on the ship.

"Someone left this commlink on." Cody's sudden outburst made both him and Rex turn in place. The Commander was holding the blinking comm unit aloft, face suddenly furious. "Someone has been listening to everything we said!"

Rex, at the door, suddenly gasped. "Hey! Stop!" he cried, and broke into a run. Clay and Cody exchanged a glance, before they charged after the other clone.

"Who's that?" Clay asked, squinting at the retreating white armoured figure. It was impossible to tell from that distance.

As the clone rounded a corner, Cody turned to him. "You and Rex take the west corridor, I'll follow him." Clay nodded, and looked to Rex.

"We're on it." Rex responded shortly, turning in the opposite direction sharply. Clay followed him, picking up speed on the straight. He stopped dead at the figure approaching – recognizing the yellow paint instantly. Cody. They'd lost their spy.

They all exchanged looks, looking to the door on their right. "He must have gone in the mess hall." Rex said and opened the door.

Clay's brows furrowed. "We've got a big problem." He said shortly, taking in the number of troopers in the standard issue armour.

"Yeah." Rex said, panting slightly. "The only people in here, are brothers."

* * *

"One of us? Great!" Rex swung a fist out at nothing as they re-entered the control centre. "But which one?"

Clay was angry too – but unlike the more hot-headed Captain – he was already putting it towards something useful, like finding the clone who did it, rather than punching the air. He pulled the robot head back towards himself, studying it carefully. "We'll just have to wait for his next move." He said calmly.

"Clay's right. We just need to keep this to ourselves, alright, Rex?"

Rex grumbled. "Better contact the Jedi."

Cody nodded, patting his shoulder. "I'm on it." Clay knew that the two men were probably under more stress than he was, because it couldn't have been one of his men. The knowledge that perhaps, within their own men, they fostered a traitor was probably horrifying. Clay didn't envy their positions, but resolved to do what he could, for their peace of mind, and for his own. He wanted to see the bastard locked up.

"I can't reach General Kenobi." Cody muttered after a moment, Rex joining him at the panel. Clay tutted, flicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth absently, as he wiggled around a bolt on the droid's circuit board. "Whoever it is blocked our communications." The droid's eyes stayed dead, and Clay set it down with a thump, before he got too frustrated with it.

"We're going to have to find this guy ourselves." He said, moving to join the two clones. He studied the control gauges, before turning to the other clones. "This guy got his messages out somehow. Do you have a way we can scan for irregularities in communication broadcasts?"

Rex shrugged. "I guess. It's the best we got so far. R2," he called to the blue and silver astromech that was whistling to itself. It perked up at its name, and Clay quirked a smile. "Come here and plug in." it tootled happily, rolling over and inserting one of its many arms.

Clay waited with the droid patiently, scanning over the rolling lines of data it was pulling up on the display screen. After a few minutes, it turned its photoreceptor to his face, and beeped at him. "You found something?" he asked it, feeling a little stupid for talking to a droid.

Rex picked up their scanner. Cody glanced over, curious. "Is it the traitor?" he asked. Rex peered at the device.

"I'm… not sure." Rex admitted, "maybe." He looked at Clay, who took back the machine. Cody looked over his shoulder.

"What is he looking at?"

"Wavelength interference." Clay said, frowning at the data projections. "Weak frequencies, spotty and irregular. See how it shows up every three days like clockwork, and then disappears. Day to day, you wouldn't notice it – but laid out like this, its… a pattern."

Rex jabbed at the screen. "The band's only coming off one terminal in the whole base. Check it out."

Clay didn't know what the location meant, but Cody grunted. "Hmmm. Slick's barracks." The scarred clone said. "Only Slick's men would have access to that terminal."

Clay looked between the two men as Rex pulled a face. "Yeah… Slick's not gonna like that."

"Who's Slick?"


	4. Chapter 3

"No! No way!"

The man himself was currently protesting vehemently, the clone sergeant looking equal parts distraught and outraged.

"My guys are the best." Slick said, crossing his arms. "No way are they capable of something like this." Clay bit at his bottom lip, trying to work out his extremely defensive behaviour. Not all clones were alike – but he himself would have wanted to root out the traitor at any cost.

"Something like what?" The rest of Slick's squad filed into the room.

Slick looked taken aback. "You called them here?" he asked, looking to Rex in confusion.

"Of course, we did." Clay said, drawing the sergeant's attention. "We're getting to the bottom of this, one way or another."

"Look, let me have a few minutes with them first." Slick leant forwards imploringly, looking to Rex again. "Its gonna hit them hard." He said, as if they weren't currently in the room listening. "They trust each other, and if one of our own betrayed us-"

"I don't think that's necessary." Evidently Cody had had enough of Slick's talking as well, as he cut off the man and began to advance on the squad, who had fallen into automatic parade rest. "Your men are tough right?" he threw back over his shoulder. "Take a seat, gentlemen." He said roughly, and the squad twitched, hurrying over to sit. Cody looked them over. "We have a turncoat in our midst. And we think it's one of you."

Clay crossed the room to flank Cody, crossing his arms. "You guys don't know me very well but trust me when I say that I get what I want. And what I want is to root out the bad seed. So, let's make this quick and easy. We'll ask you some questions, you answer truthfully. Got it?"

They nodded, and Clay stepped back slightly, nodding to Cody to take the lead. He was fine with playing bad cop. They didn't know him, so he could build whatever kind of character he needed to get the job done.

* * *

Getting the job done was easier said.

The clones were nervous, clammed up in the face of three superior officers and the knowledge that someone had betrayed them.

"I-I don't know! I did what I always do after a mission." The clone they were questioning now avoided eye contact.

"Things like what, soldier, be specific." Clay said impatiently.

"I'm sorry, sir, I'm just a little nervous. They're my CO's, and you're _the_ Captain Clay."

Clay fought to keep his face impassive. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

The clone went red. "Well, you know, fresh off Kamino, you fought a sith and lived…" he explained awkwardly. "You're kind of a legend."

Clay blinked. "Well." He said slowly. "Rest assured that fighting a sith will look like a piece of cake compared to what will happen if we don't find the traitor soon. So please, soldier, do us a favour and _answer the questions._"

The clone jumped. "Yes, sir! Sorry, sir."

"Jester is telling the truth, sir." A clone from behind them piped up. "Cleans his weapon after every mission. First thing, every time. He's kind of obsessed that way."

Cody turned back to Jester. "Is that right? You were 'cleaning your weapon?'"

"Yes, sir!" Jester nodded.

"Go on the computer while you were in here?"

"No, sir. I didn't even power it up. You can check!" he said hastily.

Rex and Clay exchanged a look. "Show me your weapon." Rex said, and Jester handed over his blaster. Rex ran a cursory eye over the metal. "Yep. Freshly scrubbed." He said, handing it back to Jester, who took it gratefully.

"The rag's over there, in the corner." Jester supplied.

Clay nodded, giving him a smile. "Good man." He rounded on the other clones, singling out the one looking to his boots. "You. Were you, uh, _cleaning_ your weapon, too?"

"No. I was, um, hungry. I went back to the mess." He said.

"Right away?" Rex asked, eyes narrowing.

"Oh, yeah." The trooper said breezily.

"Anyone with ya?" Rex continued ominously.

The clone finally looked a little intimidated. "Sketch, sir."

Sketch nodded. "We went to the mess at the same time, got our grub, and sat together."

"Anyone else there able to confirm what you two are saying?" Clay asked, regarding both clones with his most steely expression.

"Lots of guys!" Sketch piped up, "Ask any of them."

Clay gave him a dark look. "Oh, we will." The three of them continued round the clones, Rex stopping in front of the second last of them.

A hand on Clay's shoulder plate made him stop. "Captain, just give me a moment with them." He asked again, and now, Clay could see something other than concern in the man's eyes.

"Nah, it's okay, Sarge – I got nothing to hide." The man said easily, "I was in the infirmary. Got banged up pretty good by one of those clankers. It's thanks to General Omari I got out alright, she took out my would-be-killer pretty quick. I hope she'll be alright." He said to Clay.

Clay nodded, glancing at the med-droid standard bandage wrapped around the man's elbow, and moved on. As much as he appreciated the concern, he would have preferred for Raiko's condition to stay out of the conversation. If the traitor was in here, he didn't want them to know that she was essentially defenceless.

"So, Chopper, old-boy." Rex said, pausing in front of the final clone. His left side of his face was mangled with scar tissue. "What's your alibi?"

"I was in the mess." He said lowly. Clay didn't miss the way he avoided eye contact.

"No, you weren't!" Sketch cried, standing with the force of his exclamation. At the eyes on him, he stuttered. "I-I mean… you… uh-"

Cody made eye contact with the clone. "If you know something, kid, you should speak up."

Sketch's shoulders slumped under the pressure as his squad gathered around him, the room's attention all on him. "Chopper came in… a lot later. After everyone else." He surrendered.

"Where were you before you went to the mess, Chopper?" there was a reluctant anger behind Rex's words. Clay placed it as pity as he looked at the man's face. Rex's eyes weren't on Chopper's eyes; but on the mess of scars on his face.

Chopper bristled. "Nowhere. Walking around."

"Son, you know we'll need a better answer than that." Cody said, holding his gaze, not allowing Chopper to look away.

Finally, the clone sighed. "I was hiding." He admitted. "At the south exit. I didn't want anyone to see me string these together." Reaching into his belt pouch, he pulled out a jangling mess of droid fingers.

"Battle droid fingers." Rex said disappointedly, shaking his head.

Chopper's face contorted with an old rage. "I-I just – I just wanted something _back_, you know?" he slumped back in his bunk, hand coming up absently to scratch at his scars. "I just felt like they owed me." Clay felt a stab of pity for the man.

"I always knew there was something deficient about you." The sudden venom in Chopper's brother's voice was startling. Clay looked to the rest of Slick's squad in surprise, frowning as their faces contorted with a sudden viciousness. "And not just your messed-up face."

Chopper flinched slightly, but turned away quickly, hiding his scars and his eyes.

Slick leant forwards then, a predatory sort of gleam in his eyes as he looked at his scarred trooper. "This isn't good, Chopper." His voice had taken on a crooning sort of lilt, more than a little creepy. "Lying about where you were, taking forbidden items from a battle field?"

Chopper ducked his head, almost curling in on himself, as if expecting to be hit. Clay frowned again. "I know." He said lowly, voice smaller than it had been since they'd begun talking.

"I put up with the attitude because you're marginally skilled," Slick's eyes darted towards Cody, Rex and Clay, tongue wetting his lip. "But if you could break these rules, then it calls into question your _whole_ character."

Chopper looked startled, "Wait – no! Hang on!" He stood, but immediately backed up at the looks on his squad-mate's faces. The open hostility between them all seemed… normal. It was startling to see. "I'm no _spy_!" his voice broke as he backed up another step, back hitting the wall, and baring his teeth, like a cornered animal.

"Chopper… we're all brothers…" Slick said softly, and sweetly. "But how can we trust _anything_ you say now?"

Chopper turned to the three commanding clones, looking beseeching. "No, sirs, please, I'm telling you – I did _not-"_

"It's okay. We'll get you a proper investigation." Chopper put a hand on Slick's shoulder making the man flinch away, scowling. "You don't have to say anything until the Jedi get back and talk to you."

Clay's eyes snapped to Slick's face at his words, as realization set in – but before he could say a thing, Chopper had rounded on the man. "Maybe you should talk, sir. Tell 'em where you went. I was at the south exit, remember? I saw you go in, sir… I saw you, and I'm not going to lie."

Slick's eyes darted around nervously. "Chopper," he began again, in that slimy voice, "I have been patient with-"

"Everyone else turned right, towards the barracks, and the mess – but _you_ turned left…" Chopper interrupted him, "towards the command centre. Where were you going, sir?"

Slick chuckled nervously. "Obviously, the kid feels cornered." He said, looking towards Rex and Cody. Clay, however, narrowed his eyes, taking a step forwards.

"I have a question, Slick. What did you mean 'until the Jedi get back'? How did you know, Slick?" he took another step closer, anger making his voice low, and his hands shake slightly, "How did you know that the Jedi were gone?"

Slick stared at him. "I really wish you hadn't noticed that, Captain." Slick brought his fist back, then rushed him, punching out savagely. Clay went stumbled back, vision blinking white with the force of the blow. By the time he regained his footing, Rex and Cody righting his body, Slick was already running.

"It's Slick?" Rex yelled, lurching after the man, "Slick's the traitor."

Clay touched a hand to his jaw. "Apparently so." He muttered sardonically, and hurried after them, Cody at his side.

* * *

The landing bay was free of other clones, but Rex kept moving, following Slick's tracker. "I've got someone by the gunships." He said, and Clay scowled, quickening his pace.

"That's our Slick, alright." Cody said furiously. "He has to get out of this base somehow."

"There's no escape now, you piece of rankweed!" Rex bellowed into the night, rounding the corner. Clay spotted the glowing red detonator on the belt first, and backpedalled, dragging Cody with him. Rex stood there, looking from his tracker to the belt helplessly.

"Rex, get out of there!" Clay yelled at the Captain, making him startle, almost tripping over his feet as he turned to run. But there was no escaping the explosions that came from all around them – and Clay wondered how long the traitor had been setting this up.

From their sprawled position on the ground, Cody groaned. "Ugh. He took out our weapons depot."

Rex clenched his fist. "He _knew_ where we'd look. He's not trying to escape!"

"He knows all our moves, before we make them." Cody said dejectedly, standing up slowly and wincing.

Clay ignored the throbbing in his knees and back as he stood. "Well, he knows you guys. I might have an idea…"


	5. Chapter 4

Clay led the way into the command centre, scanning the room quickly. As he had expected, there was no-one in sight. Slick was too smart to attempt to ambush the three of them. No, he'd wait for an opening. Now they just had to give him one.

"Pretend you're Slick." Cody said. "What's going through your head...?"

"My cover's blown, its time to go," Rex began, "but I decide _not_ to use a ship because its too obvious." Clay checked his holo quickly, switching it off frustratedly at the sight of no communication signal. In the reflection in the dark glass, he saw something move above his head.

Taking a quick glance up, he noted the vents, and the faint gleam of white behind them. Catching Rex and Cody's eyes, he nodded up subtly. They nodded almost imperceptibly, not ceasing their chattering or pacing. "The lockdown." Cody continued, "He wants to get around the lockdown."

"He's blinded us by taking out the power." Clay continued, slowly, taking out his laser-clip from his blaster. "he could disable the entire security system." He said, placing his blaster down on the projector table and beginning another lap around the room.

Cody hummed. "Yeah, but he knows we'd expect him to do that." He joined Clay by the power graphs, deliberately turning his back on the table and the discarded weapon. Clay smirked as he heard the vent metal creak.

"Or does he?" Rex asked exaggeratedly. "Yeah, I see what you're getting at."

"Go to the south exit." Cody said loudly.

"Well, what're you going to do?" Rex asked, just as loud.

"We'll stay here." Clay answered, "Get the power back up, that should help."

"Got it!" Rex said, and disappeared behind the corner, the door opening and shutting.

With little subtlety, Clay listened to Slick drop to the ground and pick up his blaster. "Hey, Slick." Cody said with a smile.

Clay held up his clip. "Gun's empty."

"You know what's funny, traitor?" Rex's voice came from behind them, and Clay turned to face them. "We knew you'd never take a chance on the exits whilst they were blocked."

"I'd stay here to open them myself first." Slick confirmed with something building in his dark eyes. "You knew I was here."

"Of course." Clay said, stepping closer to the man. "You're not stupid – and neither are we. Did you think we wouldn't have a plan?"

Slick was quiet for a moment. Then, like a breeze brushing his cheek, Clay felt something rush over him – like a distant whispering breath. But he didn't understand what it meant. "I'm not the traitor – you are!" Slick's sudden outburst startled him, as the man lurched forwards, grabbing Rex's blaster and wrestling with him for control.

The blaster went off, making Rex stumble, Slick's elbow coming up to slam into the man's face. There was a pop and blood spurted from Rex's nose as the man collapsed backwards. Cody leapt at him, swinging his own blaster up, even as Slick grabbed at it. Another shot went off, resounding off the floor and ceiling and back into the blaster itself, making Cody drop it. As he bent to pick it up, Slick brought his knee up, kneeing Cody in the face and making him fall. Slick turned to run, and Clay threw himself after the man, catching him around the ankles and sending them both to the floor.

Slick rolled quicker than he expected – fuelled by desperation and rage, his fists pummelling into Clay's face, and making him drop his grip to shield his face. Slick pounced on him, raining down punch after punch. Clay groaned in pain. "All of you, just blindly following orders – and for what!?" Slick clutched the sides of Clay's skull, slamming his head back into the ground violently. Clay went involuntarily slack for a moment as his vision dulled, something cracking. "At least I get something out of it." He snarled into Clay's ear, raising his fist again.

Then, Slick was sent flying backwards.

"What exactly did you receive, Slick? Empty promises, fool's gold?" a familiar lilting voice made Clay sag back again as his General appeared above him. Raiko stepped around him, sending him a quick worried glance. "How much pretty cash were you offered to betray your brothers, Slick?"

Slick gave a wordless cry of rage, and threw himself towards the Jedi.

Slick – like Clay and Stix and Jives and Chuff and every single clone – was about a foot taller than the Arcturian woman. Bigger, too; they were built to be intimidating, broad and muscled – and Clay didn't think he'd seen his General look so small before; standing still as Slick bore down on her like a raging bull.

He didn't see how she did it, but one second, she was ducking into him, and the next, Slick was sprawled on the floor. He got to his feet and advanced again. "Yeah, she offered me money, but she also offered me something more important." He lashed out at Raiko, who deflected his strike with her forearm, retaliating with a sharp jab to his jaw, making him stumble. "My freedom – something that your little captain and every other fekking _clone_ wouldn't understand."

Raiko's face went very still again, and Slick seemed to realise her distraction, kicking at her, and catching her in the ribs. Her face contorted in pain, but she didn't make a sound. Cody and Rex got to their feet uncertainly, looking between Slick – who's eyes were fixed on Raiko – and the Jedi, who was clutching her mid-section. When she raised her head again, her eyes were sad. "Slick. I am sorry." She said, and although her next movements were brutal and just on the side of vicious, Clay wasn't sure what exactly what was apologizing for.

She rushed him again, kicking his jaw in an impressive display of flexibility as she snapped his head back, before dropping to the floor, and sweeping his legs out from under him, and as he fell, flipping over his body again and locking her arms around his neck. He struggled, but was clearly already woozy as she knelt behind him, keeping him in the sleeper-hold as his eyes slipped shut. When he slumped in her arms, she sighed, and let him go slowly, lowering his head to the floor with a gentleness that opposed her previous attack. She kept her fingers on his pulse for a second, before she looked at Cody.

"He'll be fine, Commander."

Cody cleared his throat. "Um. Thanks, General."

She stood up then, gracefully, though she winced as she turned away from the two clones, and she touched at her back briefly as she knelt beside him. She smiled softly at him, and moved a small hand to his face. He closed her eyes at her touch, head swimming. "Are you alright, Captain? Those were some nasty hits."

"_I_ thhhink…" he began, wincing at how slurred his voice was.

"I think so too." She said, patting his chest with a light hand. She turned to Rex and Cody. "He's got a concussion. I'll take him to the med bay."

"I can send someone with him, if you like General, if you'd rather question the traitor." Rex suggested, eyes going to Slick.

Raiko waved an airy hand. "Ah no. That's alright, thank you, Captain. I should probably go and re-seal my wounds anyway. I think they've popped open again, and I'm feeling rather faint myself." She said nonchalantly, getting up, and despite her admittance, managed to pull Clay to his – woozy and unsteady – feet.

She waved to Rex and Cody, who were watching them with unconvinced stares as they tottered towards the exit. Clay absently brought a hand up to brush down Raiko's hair, where it was sticking up a little at the back. "Such a… _mess_." He said haltingly, mostly to himself.

Raiko smiled up at him as they rounded the corner. "That's why I've got you, Clay. Someone's got to look after me."

Clay smiled blearily as they entered the cool, brightly lit medical bay. The light made his head throb and he closed his eyes as Raiko talked to someone quietly. Then, there were other hands on him, helping him walk, and her familiar form was left behind. He tried to look for her, but he was pushed back, someone muttering over him, about the 'nasty headwound he's collected.'

Clay just slept.


	6. Chapter 5

"And you're sure the doctor said he'd be alright – that its safe for him to sleep? And is the doctor trustworthy? Does he have experience with concussions?"

Raiko had already heard the same question four times since Stix had gotten to the med-bay, and the faintly irritated look from the doctor clone who was literally checking Clay's vitals in front of them told her that he'd heard them too – despite Stix's attempt at whispering. She just patted her anxious Lieutenant's shoulder. "Stix, Clay is in capable hands. The doctor told me that he's treated more than five other concussions before, three of them with the same severity, and I'm sure that if it wasn't safe for Clay to sleep, he would be awake."

Stix nodded, looking a little less harried, even though he'd heard the words before. She was sure it wasn't easy for him being in the unfamiliar med-bay anyway – which explained why he was hanging over her shoulder so closely. She was the only well-known face in the area, and she knew he preferred things to be constant, including the company he kept. Her comm buzzed, with a message from Anakin.

The Separatist army was advancing.

_It was time to go to war. _

"Anything important, General?" Stix asked, folding his hands behind his back, and looking down at her. He still hadn't taken off his helmet, and they'd been in the med-bay for over an hour. She just grimaced at him.

"If facing down innumerable enemies to free and defend an innocent people counts as important – then yes."

"Marching orders, General?" he asked worriedly, visor turning to Clay again.

Raiko put a hand on his arm. "Stix, I won't ask you to come if you really want to stay with him." She said, almost a whisper so that they couldn't be overheard. "I can take Jest as my number two."

Stix was silent, but Raiko knew he was just thinking – turning both options over and over in his mind. Finally, slowly, he reached up and unsealed his helmet with a click. When he met her eyes, his gaze was determined. "No. Regulation states that if the Captain is unavailable, I become your second-in-command until such time as I am no longer needed. It's my duty."

Raiko gave him a solemn nod. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I'm glad to have you by my side."

"I won't disappoint you or the Captain, you can count on that, General." He gave her a crisp salute, before jamming his helmet back on. "I'll inform Jest and Jive to begin troop assembly. Then I'll accompany you to the command centre." He planned aloud. Raiko nodded again, and turned back to Clay as Stix left the room.

Reaching out, she touched his cheek gently. "Hey. You'd better rest up, Captain. I'm taking Stix onto the field today, and I know he'll want to tell you all about it when we get back." She spoke with more certainty than she felt. She knew the odds. Knew that there was only a slim chance of getting out alive without more troops. They were not enough.

She smiled anyway, even though it meant nothing and he couldn't see it – she hoped he felt it, projecting a calmness onto him before she left.

* * *

Raiko watched the battle below her anxiously.

The thin walkway that she and a group of snipers from all three battalions were perched on overlooked the fight between Obi-Wan, Anakin and the approaching Separatist forces. They'd been fighting for hours now – slowly being backed up further and further, and now they were nearly at their cannons. Any further, and already evacuated civilians would be in the firing line.

She'd already lost five men – because even though they weren't on the ground, when they'd first engaged from their higher position, a squad of bombers had been sent after them. She hadn't been quick enough.

But now, as the two opposing sides joined in the middle, it was getting harder and harder for her sniper-squad to shoot. She frowned. "We're obsolete right now. You guys aren't getting any clear shots anymore."

"You can say that again, General." Ed griped, with his eye still on his scope. "I can barely make out clanker from clone."

She commed Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan, we're doing nothing up here. Give us something to shoot at." She could see his saber on the ground, swirling in a defensive pattern to protect his men behind him. Anakin was perched atop a spider-droid, lightsaber sunk to the hilt in the bulbous head of the thing. She flinched back as an explosion went off below them, showering them in a rain of chunks of crystal. Ed put a helpful arm over her unprotected head, a few shards of shrapnel pinging loudly off his plastoid gauntlet.

"_Tell your men to keep their positions, and focus fire on strays. But I need you on the ground." _Obi-Wan's crisp voice was slightly harried, the only evidence of his position deep in battle. As always, she admired his poise.

Raiko regarded the clones around her. Ed nodded at her, and Raiko knew that if his helmet were off, he'd be grinning at her. "We've got this, General."

"Stay sharp, boys." She called to the rest of them, acknowledging their salutes with a wink. She lifted her wrist again. "Okay, I'm coming down." She stood gingerly, ducking again as another bomb went over her head and into the building behind her, sending more rubble spraying over them. On the ground below her, she could see Rex – his distinctive armour a clear identifier – as well as six of his men taking on another huge spider droid.

Taking a leap, Raiko flew towards the droid's spindly legs.

As she spiralled through the air, she pulled out her saber, igniting it as she fell – sweeping it before her in an arc of white light. The metal legs of the droid put up no resistance, as she sliced neatly through one, as Rex's men took out the one beside it – making the droid keel sideways. Raiko grasped the protruding laser cannon, and swung, flipping herself up into the air, in an impossible display of gymnastics. The Force coalesced around her body, lending her grace and power in a way she never felt outside of the battlefield. Landing on its head, she rode the falling droid to the ground, jabbing her saber through its photoreceptor to use as a steadying handle.

With all three spider-droids disabled, it made it easier for the clones to advance, and Raiko ran to join them, slashing her way through the droids with their backs to her – taking a running leap and skidding to cover behind a fallen spider-droid's leg. Panting, she nodded weakly at Obi-Wan and Anakin as they joined her.

"We're going to need reinforcements." Raiko pointed out, as yet another wave of droids appeared on the street, marching robotically forwards. This skirmish seemed never ending.

"We haven't been able to get through to the Admiral." Obi-Wan replied tersely, and Raiko grimaced, twisting around to face the oncoming army.

Her jaw dropped at the sight of the tanks, slowly making their way towards them. "We're screwed." She said softly. "I'm bringing my squads forwards – they can't help much by the cannons."

Anakin nodded in approval, brow creasing as he lifted his saber again to deflect a sudden burst of blaster fire, covering her as she hunkered down slightly to contact Stix, who had the majority of her men back at the cannons as defence. His form flickered to life on her wrist. "Lieutenant, I need you to advance the men, we need help holding the line – we've got tankers incoming."

Stix saluted. "Yes, General. We'll get moving." She signed off and stood, raising her own saber. But – the tankers were halting in their approach.

Anakin frowned. "Why are they stopping?"

Obi-Wan smirked. "They can't get past our cannons." As if to prove his point, a blast from their plasma cannons went hurtling into the nearest tank, sending it up in flames. Raiko grinned.

"Brilliant."

As Stix and the rest of her men appeared, the droids began to retreat – the sudden influx of clone troopers proving too much for them, as they turned tail and ran after their tanks. Raiko stood up from her half-crouch as the last droid disappeared out of range.

It was the whir of a transport ship's engines that made her energy return. The Admiral must have sent troops, supplies, _something_ useful.

They would need it.

She could feel the exhaustion on the men's Force signatures, the sorrow in some of them as purple decorated medics began to attend the dead and wounded. The prompt response could only have been her Lieutenant's doing. She was tired too, her back still aching and her mind on edge from the constant threat. After the adrenaline rush of battle, it left her feeling empty. Stix's approach made her plaster a smile on her face as Obi-Wan and Anakin headed towards the ship.

He saluted her, pulling off his helmet. "General. The 313th Medics have been dispatched," her smile grew a little more genuine at the confirmation of her suspicion. "I'm collating our ammunition usage reports as we speak, and we're set for siege procedure to hold our position." He said quickly.

Raiko nodded. "Excellent work, Lieutenant." She turned her face to the sky, and heaved a deep breath, feeling the tension in her muscles. "Are you alright, Stix?" she asked the man.

Stix tilted his head, a habit he had picked up unconsciously from her. "I… am alright, General. Battlefield command is…"

"A shitshow." A new voice joined their conversation, and a hand dropped onto Stix's shoulder. Rex bowed his head slightly. "Pardon my language, General Omari."

"Of course, Captain." She responded, with a faint smile.

Rex clapped Stix on the shoulder again. "You did good, kid." He said and walked off again. Raiko met Stix's wide eyes, raising an eyebrow. Her Lieutenant blinked rapidly, clearly stunned.

Raiko just chuckled, and nudged him. "You heard the Captain. I knew I could count on you."

Stix blushed, and saluted her again. "Thank you, General. I will – uh, I have to go collect the death count now." Raiko felt her smile drop at the reminder, trying to avoid looking at the body of a clone slumped over a glittering chunk of blue crystal across the street from them.

"Please let me know if we lost anyone." She said quietly, and squeezed his shoulder. Stix saluted her again, and left her, hurrying towards the nearest medic with purpose. Alone in the street, Raiko let her body sag slightly, feeling the heavy emotion still thick in the air settle onto her.

"Raiko? Raiko Omari?" the familiar trill of her name made her turn – eyes widening as they fell upon Ahsoka Tano.

"Soka? But what- why are you here?" she asked, as the Torgrutan skipped towards her. She accepted the girl's hug, patting her familiar headtails. "You've grown." She continued in surprise.

Ahsoka pulled away, beaming. "I'm here to be a Padawan learner! Also – I'm delivering a message to Master Skywalker and Master Kenobi. And I _have_ grown, thanks for noticing – and also Barriss says hello!" Ahsoka responded rapidly, making Raiko shake her head.

"Wow. Okay. Well." She looked over Ahsoka's head to see Anakin and Obi-Wan watching them bemusedly. "You'd better go deliver your message."

"Come on!" Ahsoka said happily, grabbing her hand and dragging her along. Raiko gave Anakin a helpless look.

"You know the Youngling?" he murmured to her, as Ahsoka danced around the communications table, bringing up the line for the Jedi Temple.

Raiko shrugged. "Master Plo found her, brought her to the Temple when she was a baby. She's stayed close with him and me, by association."

Anakin hummed in understanding, furrowing his brows as Yoda's shrunken frame appeared in hologram. "_Master Kenobi. Glad Ahsoka found you, I am." _The Jedi said promptly.

"Master Yoda – we are trapped here, and vastly outnumbered, even with the addition of Raiko's troops. We are in no position to go anywhere, or do anything." Beneath Obi-Wan's polite exterior, Raiko could feel his frustration boiling. "Our support ships have all been destroyed."

"_Send reinforcements to you, we will-"_ Yoda's form crackled and buzzed, the transmission shorting out. The transmission returned to the clone leading the cruisers.

"_More enemy ships have arrived – we have to leave orbit. We'll be back for you as soon as we can-"_ then that transmission went out too. Raiko closed her eyes as a wave of dread washed over her.

"I guess we'll have to hold out a little longer." Anakin said sarcastically, making Raiko sigh.

"I'll contact the remainder of my men at the base." Raiko said shortly. Obi-Wan opened his mouth, as if to say something, a wash of concern flooding their connection. She waved him off slightly. "My comm is on if you need me." She said, and left before they could say anything more, quickening her footsteps until she was out of sight behind a fallen AT-walker. She slid down the metal side slowly, ignoring the flare of pain as she rubbed against her blaster wounds.

She commed Jest, who was still on base. "Jest – I need you to get the rest of the 313 moving to our position."

_"General. Good to hear from you. We'll get moving right away." _

Raiko didn't have the energy to respond. "Thanks, Jest." She signed off, and let her head thump back against the cooling metal. The faint jangling approaching her made her sit up again, sending out a faint probe into the Force. It was a human, unfamiliar to her, and emotionally messy – feelings intense and out of order, mostly amassing as troubled. She frowned at the turmoil.

The clone trooper that came around the side of the AT froze upon seeing her. The jangling bunch of metal he was holding dropped from his grip, clattering loudly on the ground.

Raiko stared at him. He was wearing all-white, no indication of what battalion or squad he belonged to – but, she was certain, not hers. His emotions were working themselves into a frenzy. She smiled uncertainly. "Sorry – I didn't mean to startle you." She said.

"Startle me?" he asked, and the look on his face was so confused that she felt her heart ache a little. It was the look of someone who had never had anyone consider them before.

"Yes." She said gently. "I must have picked the best spot to be alone, huh?"

The trooper's eyes widened slightly. She noticed his mis-matched irises, one a familiar brown, and the other a piercing blue-grey. It was striking. "My apologies, General." He said gruffly. "I didn't realise– I mean– I can leave you alone-"

Raiko cursed at her poor phrasing, standing as the clone turned to leave quickly. "It's alright! Hey – it's alright-" she stooped, picking up the bunch of things he had dropped. "Don't forget your…" he had frozen as she had grabbed them, and she had to look at them for a long moment to work out what they were. "Droid fingers?" she phrased as a question. "A souvenir?" she asked, smiling faintly. He didn't seem so amused, and panic flared so strongly from him that her own heart stuttered a few beats in sympathy. "Oh – okay. Here." She extended her hand to him, holding out his bunch of metal, and he flinched. She lowered her hand. "Soldier…" she began, watching as he whitened, turning away from her slightly. "What's your designation?" she asked quietly. It was like trying to soothe a wounded animal – he seemed so terrified, of _her_ – which was unsettling.

He closed his eyes in something like resignation for a second, before fixing her with his odd-stare. "CT-7566-902 from the 501st, ma'am." He seemed to swallow something down, his energy flagging hesitance for a brief moment, before reverting to weary fear again.

"What is it?" she probed gently. "Do you have something else to say?"

He swallowed. "Well, ma'am – I know I can't stop you from reporting my insubordination – but could you make sure that my old squad doesn't hear about my reconditioning. I don't want to give them the satisfaction." His face twisted in anger for a moment.

Raiko shook her head in surprise. "_Reconditioning?"_ she parroted stupidly. "Who said- but why?"

The trooper seemed uncertain now, shifting in place. "It's my second level 3 offense in a day and I'm sure that they'd be happy to be rid of me. Ma'am." He ducked his head slightly.

Raiko felt a sick sort of pity and worry rise in her, looking at the resigned and frightened trooper. He was scarred, mangled really, and she couldn't bear to think that after so much pain he had experienced emotional abuse as well. But he _was_ reading like every abuse victim she'd encountered – downtrodden, with little self-esteem, and more rage and sorrow than they knew how to deal with. Her heart broke for him. She took another step forwards, watching as his pupils dilated in fear to her closeness. She gently pressed the bundle of droid fingers into his palm. It took him a moment to react, fingers closing around them clumsily – as he seemed unable or unwillingly to look away from her.

"I don't think there's any reason for anything to be reported, trooper." She smiled again, willingly him to calm slightly. To her relief, he nodded, the faint reprieve in his tumultuous feelings easing her own anxiety. Her comm beeped at her, and she glanced at it. _Obi-Wan._ "Duty calls." She sighed, heart panging at CT-7566-902's face, so familiar, yet not the one she wished was with her. "I hope to see you soon, trooper. Good luck." She left him frozen in place, jogging towards the temporary command centre as Obi-Wan commed her again, an urgency coming through both the message and the bond stretching between them, pulling her closer.

* * *

Raiko bowed her head to the clones standing guard outside the enclosed crystal area, as they saluted her with a crispness she thought must have been ingrained in them from birth. She recognised Stix immediately, his purple painted armour, as well as his rigid posture at the end of the holotable, dead giveaway. She moved to join him, his signature spiking with a faint relief as his helmeted head looked slightly in her direction. Obi-Wan nodded as she moved past him, and pointed to the hologram. "The shield generator is somewhere in this area." He informed her briefly, and she looked to the glowing patch of white he was indicating.

"Any clue as to where exactly?" she asked.

Anakin shook his head, sending her a look. "We can assume right in the middle, guarded by everything they got." She sighed slightly, hand coming up to massage at her temples. She could feel a headache coming on – and not just because of the turbulence in the Force inspired by the violence. She was tired, and in pain – and pushing aside her own feelings for so long, as well as guarding against the emotions of others – which were always heightened and projected in times like these – was straining. Again, she wished for Clay – a little selfish part of her craving his calmness, and his solidity within the Force. She should be stronger. But she wasn't. And she hated herself for it.

"They're slowly increasing the diameter and keeping it just ahead of their troops." Obi-Wan continued.

Rex gave a grunt of annoyance. "Our heavy cannons are going to be useless against that." Raiko cast a look over the barricade, watching the soldier's frantic movements as they ferried supplies and wounded back. They were falling back. That momentary victory was just that; momentary. Hardly a win at all. All they had succeeded at was losing men, and losing ground. But now at least they knew the strength of their infantry.

Raiko knew that they had no chance against them out in the open. "To give us any chance, we'd have to try and draw them into the buildings. We're outmatched on the ground." She leant over slightly, frowning as she pulled the city layout closer to herself, running a cursory eye over the building layouts.

"If that shield is going to be such a problem," Ahsoka spoke up for the first time, brash – but still hesitantly. "Why don't we just take it out?"

"Easier said than done, Commander." Stix answered her formally, and Raiko watched as Rex and her Lieutenant exchanged a look.

Anakin coughed slightly, shifting as faint annoyance and embarrassment radiated from him. Raiko shot him an amused look, straightening to look at him. He scowled, avoiding her eyes. "Well, I for one…" he cleared his throat again. "Agree with her." he pointedly didn't look at Ahsoka either – but Raiko watched as her young friend's eyes went wide with surprise – and then muted adoration. It was adorable, really. "Someone has to get to that shield generator and destroy it. That's the key."

Obi-Wan hid a smile by stroking at his beard again, "Right then, maybe you two could tip-toe through enemy lines, and solve this problem – together!"

"Can do, Master Kenobi!" Ahsoka said, smiling brilliantly.

Anakin scowled. "_I'll _decide what we do."

Obi-Wan just turned back to the hologram. "If Rex, Raiko and I can engage them here," he highlighted a point on the map, "You two might have a chance to get through their lines, undetected, here." He jabbed at another point.

"You won't have much time." Raiko said directly to Anakin, voice heavy. She knew what it would cost them. "Without our cannons, we're outmatched and outnumbered." Stix shifted beside her, and she felt his growing unease as keenly as if it were her own. "They can march forwards under that shield until they're on top of us and the cannons, and blow us away."

Ahsoka, brilliant, young, _naïve, _Ahsoka, just grinned again. "We'll figure out a way. Come on, Master." She chirped, spinning on her heel, and beckoning Anakin after her. Anakin – distracted suddenly by his Padawan's cheek – didn't reassure her. Raiko felt her stomach sink as the pair then walked away, bickering.

She turned to Stix as Obi-Wan and Rex began discussing strategy. "Stix, how long until the rest of the 313 are here? I'm afraid… we are running out of time." She said, well aware of how ominous and unclear her statement was – just as obscure as Jedi were stereotyped to be – but suddenly unable to form a coherent thought as a sudden wave of fear filled her.

"They'll be here shortly, General. I would estimate another five minutes, three if they're still on the double as I advised, but I would guess they did not maintain the pace." Stix said, trying to be placating in the only way he knew how, and usually Raiko would try to distract herself with his nattering, but this time she couldn't. Instead, she nodded weakly, and turned to the skyline – where the enemy was surely approaching – walking out of the enclosed space to the middle of the wide road.

_This was suicide. _

She had every confidence in her friend – but in the interim, whilst he was galivanting to the rescue – they were just cannon-fodder, biding time with their bodies.

She flinched when a hand fell on her shoulder. Obi-Wan stepped into her peripheries, eyes on the distance like her own had been. His side-profile was regal, serious – but his hand was warm, a comforting weight. "Are you afraid?" he asked her quietly.

She smiled slightly, turning back to the horizon. "You know I am."

Obi-Wan hummed lightly. "We just have to trust him." He said.

Raiko pursed her lips. "And in the meantime, die." Obi-Wan said nothing, but she could just picture the little crease between his brows, she knew him too well. "You know as well as I do that we are risking and losing far too many lives."

"They die for the right cause. Surely that means something to you." Obi-Wan looked at her now, blue eyes gentle and knowing.

Raiko clenched her jaw. "It means everything." She whispered. "I just wish that sacrifice wasn't the answer."

"Even if we could retreat-" Obi-Wan began, and Raiko shook her head jerkily.

"I wouldn't. I wouldn't, Obi-Wan. These people," she cast a look around at the destroyed landscape around them, the mark of the war on the Christophsians, just a tiny example of the damage wrought. "They don't deserve this. I just wish…" she sighed.

Obi-Wan squeezed her shoulder. "I know." He said softly. He pressed again. "I know."


	7. Chapter 6

"_Fallback_!" Raiko hissed, waving frantically at her men, trying to be heard over the noise of the cannons, and the ever-approaching groan of metal. "Stix, get them _back_ – they're sitting ducks out there!" They were sheltering in and amongst the half-destroyed city, hiding as best they could from the droid army. If they were to have any chance of survival they had to rely on the element of surprise.

"_Yes, General!"_

Raiko narrowed her eyes at the red dome of energy, and the droids just beyond it. Any closer, and they would have to engage – but she didn't want any early casualties, even if it meant backing her boys up every minute. They had to stay out of sight – and until Obi-Wan gave the signal, she didn't want anyone too close.

"Twenty-seconds, General." Jest said aloud, one hand on his blaster from where he crouched beside her. He was facing the shield. "We're nearly there… almost… almost… _now-_" the shield passed over them, and then everything was washed in red from the light of it.

"_Raiko – now!"_ Obi-Wan's voice in her ear startled her enough to make her move automatically – and she stood, turning and leaping before her mind caught up with her. Over the edge of the balcony – and below her, droids turned their faces up dumbly, and she heard a few of them exclaim as she ignited her saber.

As she landed, lasers going off around her, Raiko felt everything fall into a sharp focus, until there was only her lightsaber, and metal waiting to be turned to scrap.

* * *

Stix couldn't help but keep half an eye on his General. It was a habit he'd picked up from Clay – who always seemed to know when the General needed backup. But he didn't seem to be any good at it, because even as he turned his blaster onto a group of droids, they began to surround her.

"313 – eyes on the General!" he barked into the comms, a sudden spike of fear filling him as the droids began to fire upon the tiny woman. It didn't matter how good she was – there was still the 2.76% chance that a shot might get past her – and droids were designed to pick off the largest threat. To his surprise, he was immediately flanked by two of his men – and they helped him pick off the clankers sneaking behind her. "Good work, gentlemen!" he said, unsure what the protocol was on the battlefield.

"Good call, Lieutenant." One of them responded brightly, sending him a nod before turning back to the fight.

Stix looked back – but she was already gone, leaping high over the heads of droids, neatly swirling through enemy fire as if she was untouchable. He couldn't fault her for her confidence. She looked so eerily peaceful and graceful fighting – like it was dance with a lover, and she was just going through the motions.

Compared to her, everything else was chaos and savagery, and Stix knew he was fighting a losing battle as he watched three of his men fall around him, clone carcasses beginning to build up as the droids advanced.

"_Retreat!" _the call came too soon, and Stix glanced to where Rex stood near him – doggedly standing his ground even as he called his men back. "_Lieutenant, that's an order!" _

Stix repeated the command numbly, eyes roving the battle to try and locate as many of his own as he could – mind automatically counting and storing information. "The generals – where are they?" he asked, as he backed into the building. He couldn't see any blue or white – no evidence of the two Jedi with them.

"I don't know, Stix." Jest's voice was tight as he spoke – and Stix didn't have the heart to reprimand him for the lack of title, as he joined his brother and Rex by the door blasting back the approaching enemy with growing desperation.

* * *

Raiko dropped, skidding beneath the tall frame of a B2 droid, bringing her saber up and cutting it in half as she went. Finding her feet, she arched backwards as a blue blade of plasma whirred over her, slashing through the droid in front of her.

Obi-Wan shot her an exasperated look as she spun to face him, twirling her saber in her grip and deflecting a bolt back into the head of another droid. "You _must_ be more careful."

"You'd never hurt me." Raiko replied, grinning sharply. "In fact," she ran at him, jumping slightly as he bent, rebounding off his extended thigh and flipping backwards over another droid. "We work well together." As one, they speared the droid with their sabers, blue and white flashing a pale grey for a second as the blades collided.

Obi-Wan spared her a small smile. "You always do make things interesting." He pushed a group of droids back, and Raiko couldn't help the faint stab of jealousy at his casual display of Force ability. But then – a clamour of panic from behind them drew her attention.

"The men-" she gasped shortly. "They need us."

Obi-Wan frowned, spinning his saber experimentally. "Go. I'll cover us." She nodded, and deactivated her saber in favour of running as fast as she could, sprinting over rubble, metal and bodies as she headed towards the distress. She could pick out her own men, the ones she knew calling the loudest, as if they knew she could sense them. Scaling the side of the dilapidated building, she could hear blaster fire and human yelling. Her eyes fell upon the closest and loudest source of anguish – a trooper caught in the grip of a B2.

She jumped again – the horrible feeling of free-fall enough to take away from the awesomeness of it, the wonder of the Force – and lifted her saber again, cutting through the arm as she landed, pushing the clone back as she swung again, halving what remained of the droid.

The other droid was sent flying, Obi-Wan appearing from the smoke, and lifting his saber to deflect another blaster shot, as Raiko lifted her saber. A blue laser shot down the droid before it could fire again, and Rex's patterned helmet came into sight, followed by the rest of the men. What was left. Raiko searched through the white armour, heart sinking at the sudden lack of purple patterns. _Already so many lost._

Stix was still alive though – and Jest – and she thanked the Force for small mercies.

"They're right behind us, sir." Rex panted, "They've wiped out most of our unit." Raiko swallowed thickly, eyes darting to Stix for confirmation. The man nodded slightly, and she swayed – nausea filling her. She could feel some of their horror, their fear – most of them still running on too much adrenaline to feel, in a sort of emotional shock.

They ducked behind what remained of some kind of control panel. Raiko exchanged a look with Obi-Wan. "Captain Rex, you need to pull the men back to the cannons. Do everything you can to protect them. Obi-Wan and I will stay and delay the droids." She said.

"But-" Stix began, and Raiko shot him a fierce look, hating the way he recoiled. A tingle in her awareness, every present since the battle began – an expression of warning – flared.

"That is an _order_ Lieutenant!" She gritted out and stood – as the warning screamed – lightsaber flashing up to pierce the metal torso of a B2 that loomed suddenly above them. She didn't wait to see them retreat, leaping over the panel to face the droids. Lasers flashed around her, and then Obi-Wan was by her side.

An explosion rocked them both, Raiko raising a steadying hand to Obi-Wan's arm as he stumbled slightly. As the dust settled, the imposing forms of lines of battle-droids appeared, and Raiko felt a resolution settle deep in her belly as Obi-Wan sank into a ready-position, eyes fixing steadily on the droids.

In the dim-reddish light, blue and white danced together towards danger – daring their enemy to challenge the Force.

* * *

Raiko was tiring, and so was Obi-Wan, and slowly, they were forced back to each other, shoulders beginning to brush as each swing, each blast bolt subdued them slowly.

Raiko knew when Obi-Wan did when it was time to stop, even if her blood was still singing with battle, and her body was pounding with her heartbeat, adrenaline making her idle hands shake as she lowered her saber. The droids around them stopped too – as a tank rolled into position. The hatch popped.

"You must be the infamous Generals Kenobi and Omari." The Kerkoiden who spoke wore the insignia of a general, and Raiko recognised him immediately from the briefing packages she had looked over. General Whorm Loathsom, current bane of her existence. Her lip curled at his address, but she kept quiet as Obi-Wan sent a quick bolt of calm and warning through their link.

He smiled slightly. "I surrender." He said and Raiko followed his lead as a droid approached them, taking their lightsabers from their belt. She inwardly cried out at the loss of it, feeling it in the Force as her weapon called for her. She comforted herself with Obi-Wan's confidence. The man had always been a Master negotiator.

* * *

Raiko watched with faint trepidation as Obi-Wan lifted great slabs of crystal from the ground with ease, settling them between the pair of them, and Loathsom in his tank. "General, have a seat."

Raiko gave him a sideways glance, but he didn't meet her gaze, instead keeping his eyes on Loathsom. "Have you gone mad?" the Kerkoiden asked – and Raiko found herself internally echoing the statement.

"I've conceded the battle. Now we simply have to negotiate the terms of surrender." Obi-Wan said smoothly, smiling winningly. Then, he shot Raiko a look, full of intent and instruction. For a moment, Raiko didn't understand – but then, as Loathsom hummed in contemplation, and Obi-Wan sent a jolt of encouragement towards her – she knew what he wanted.

She had never done it before. Had never even dared to consider it – and even though she knew it was the only way, she felt a sick sort of guilt rise in the back of her throat as she reached out to Loathsom's feelings. They were clouded and painfully barbed with maliciousness, as all evil was – but she could sense the murky suspicion and reluctance. She shifted, opening her body to him, and her mind. Gently, ever so delicately, she wound her way towards the conscious emotions and thought – and like a drop of ink colouring water, she dared to push them away, to imbue a sense of confidence and trust, and even anticipation.

"D…don't t-try any of your tricks, Jedi…" Loathsom's voice was slurred, even as he eyed Obi-Wan – and Raiko winced, thinking she had pushed it too far. Then, like a grip taking hold, his expression cleared and Raiko felt the emotion take root. She recoiled from his mind – half-afraid of being caught, as he suddenly disappeared from view. _She'd blown it_.

Then, the back of the tank hissed open, and a small droid bounced towards them – followed closely by the General. He was… smiling.

Raiko raised an eyebrow. Obi-Wan gave her a small smile before he turned back to the approaching Kerkoiden. "It is a rare honour to meet one's opponent face to face. You're a legend throughout the inner-core."

Loathsome looked chuffed, and took a seat. "Thank you." Obi-Wan sat on the other crystal, and made a faint gesture for Raiko step back. She did so uneasily, knowing that he wanted to keep the focus off her, but unable to let go of her growing worry. "The honour is all mine! I'm so glad you decided to surrender." Loathsome continued jovially. Raiko reached out again. The emotions had changed – her artificially influenced ones absorbed by Loathsome's own begrudging respect for Obi-Wan. She had been lucky. Her comm buzzed, but she didn't dare look at it, covering it with her other hand as Loathsom's eyes flickered to her. She bowed her head, and pushed dismissal. He looked away.

"Well at some point, one must accept the reality of the situation." Obi-Wan said cordially. Then, he coughed. "Oh, excuse me. May we have some… refreshments?"

As Loathsome's suspicion returned, Raiko realised that Obi-Wan was playing for time. A little carelessly, she pushed acceptance on the General, and his face relaxed. He turned to the little droid. "You! Bring us something… liquid."

"Thank you." Obi-Wan said, and she watched as his easy smile changed to something a little more predatory. "This shouldn't take long."

Raiko drifted, eyes going beyond the broken room they were in. She could hear blaster fire still – and could sense their men's fear. It didn't matter how long they held the General's attention – _they were still dying_. Her jaw tensed, and maybe she kept her emotions too open – because Loathsom suddenly stood, snapping as anger filled him in a dizzying rush. "ENOUGH OF THIS! You are stalling…" he jabbed a finger at Obi-Wan.

"Nonsense. General, there are numerous details still to be discussed." Obi-Wan winked at the Kerkoiden, and Raiko felt her heart sink.

Loathsom bellowed, and with a surprising display of strength, flipped the makeshift crystal table. She tensed, body reacting as she sank into a defensive crouch, hand going to her belt – only to remember her saber was still in a droid's grip. But her movement had been noticed, and as two droids grabbed Obi-Wan – dangling him aloft – a large metal arm came around her chest, lifting her up and crushing her against the metal body of a B2. The grip was tight enough to make her lose her breath, bruising in its intensity. She struggled limply. "Unless you two call off your troops, I will have no choice, but to destroy you."

"Truthfully, I was hoping your shield would be down by now." Obi-Wan admitted ruefully, sending Raiko an apologetic look. She couldn't even scowl, wincing as the droid tightened its grip further. Then – a flare of triumph tempered with annoyance – and Raiko heard a faint boom.

She stopped struggling – a grin spreading across her face as Obi-Wan met her gaze. "Just on time." She choked out, and Obi-Wan extended his hand, and she felt a rush of his Force pull pass over her, and her saber went flying from the droid's grip. She caught it, as Obi-Wan swung himself over and above the droid's holding him, landing for only a second before jumping again. Raiko ignited her saber, angling it towards herself, the blade missing her torso by inches, and impaling the droid holding her. It released her, crumpling as she swung again, slashing it in half, deflecting a blaster shot in the same swing.

"Don't shoot!" the panicked cry from Loathsom made her turn. Obi-Wan had him by the throat, in a tight chokehold.

"Something seems to have happened to your shield, General." Obi-Wan said with a smirk, and Raiko rolled her eyes. Then, her comm buzzed again, and she lifted it, a hologram of the Admiral appearing.

"_General Omari, if you can hear me, we have made it through the blockade. The Separatist Armada is in retreat, and your reinforcements should be landing in a moment." _Raiko looked up as the sound of engines whirred over head, relief flooding her at the sight of their gunships – too many to count – soaring above them.

"Well. Loathsom. I've got some cuffs with your name on them." She said, turning her gaze onto the Kerkoiden, who's blue skin was going grey from shock.

She couldn't help herself, some petty childish part of her making her gloat – and she pushed a faint edge of her own satisfaction towards him. He flinched, eyes widening. "_You_." He hissed. "That was… you-" he broke off into a wordless growl – animalistic enough to make her flinch back. The purr of an engine behind them made her turn, to see the comforting grim-set figure of Yoda.

"Your timing is perfect, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan said, with a faint grin. Yoda's solemn face cracked slightly, and he gave them both a faintly amused look, fading when his eyes landed on Raiko. She avoided his eyes. She could feel him – just slightly, on the edge of her awareness – brush over her feelings. He was more subtle than her own master, Plo-Koon had been, but she could still feel him. It made the guilty feeling return, and she defensively put up a shield around her emotions. He retreated, but she still felt his eyes on her.


	8. Chapter 7

It was far from over.

Raiko watched the endless lines of troopers, marvelling at how easily they seemed to move – even with the shock and the horror of battle pressing upon them. She couldn't help but notice that she was missing a great deal of her own men, the ones that had fought and survived returning heavy. Her eyes found her command leaders, Stix, Jest, and Jive, who were standing together, along with Commander Cody, and two other ranking clones she didn't recognise. Stix seemed to be in some sort of shock, and her eyes went to the scorch marks on his armour. There were far too many to count; far too many close calls. Jest was projecting his usual flippancy, but she could sense his relief underneath, his building exhaustion.

They were all far stronger than she was.

She felt it keenly now – the uselessness of her own ability and strength. She was spiralling – the ebb and flow of post-battle trauma and emotion crashing over her and weakening her resolves with every minute. The violence here wasn't just physical. She could feel it in the earth, in the people, in her soldiers. It cut deeper than plasma.

"Master Obi-Wan, Knight Omari, Master Yoda." Anakin greeted them formally, and the thrilling zing of his conquering euphoria was enough to snap her into focus. Of course her friend could find joy and triumph here. He was the ever victorious one, the hero.

"Trouble you have, with your new Padawan, I hear." Yoda cut straight to it, eyes focussing sharply on Ahsoka, who lowered her head.

"I explained the situation to Master Yoda." Obi-Wan supplied, and Raiko felt a dim surprise. She hadn't even realised a conversation had been happening around her.

"Did you really?" Anakin asked blithely, raising an eyebrow at his old master.

"If not ready for a padawan, you are, then perhaps, Obi-Wan we can-"

"No," Anakin cut in, and Raiko raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute. I admit Ahsoka is… a little rough around the edges, but, with a great deal of training and patience, she might amount to something." Raiko rolled her eyes. Not exactly a glowing review – but she saw Anakin's grudging like for the young Torgrutan. Ahsoka was practically glowing.

"Then go with you she will, to the Teth system." Yoda said mildly.

"Teth?" Raiko blurted, "That's… wildspace – the droid army isn't even in that sector."

Yoda frowned, turning away from them to hobble towards the cruiser. "Kidnapped, Jabba the Hutt's son, has been."

"You want _me_ to rescue Jabba's son?" Anakin's voice was thick with incredulity. Raiko felt a pang of sympathy. Her friend's life had been owned and destroyed by the Hutts before he had been rescued by Qui-Gon. It would always be a sore spot for him.

"Anakin, we need the Hutt's allegiance to give us an advantage over Dooku." Raiko said gently, reaching out to touch his arm briefly, infusing gentle understanding through their bond. He lowered his gaze, scowling.

"Negotiate the treaty with Jabba, Obi-Wan will." Yoda turned to face them all again. "Find the renegades who took Jabba's son, your mission will be, Skywalker." Anakin let out a low hiss.

Ahsoka blinked up at him. "Come on, Master. I'll find Rex, and get the troops organized!" she bounced off without waiting for a reply, leaving the four of them watching her go.

Raiko turned back to Yoda slowly, dreading the answer to her question; "And me, Master? What are my orders?"

Yoda fixed her with an unreadable stare. "Until further instructions come, the 313th for now, to remain here, they are, to aid with immediate war relief. Heal and rebuild, you must. Replenish your ranks, the 212th and 501st, will."

_Replenish your ranks._

Raiko felt nausea rise in her throat, and swallowed thickly. "Yes, Master."

Obi-Wan's voice came from faraway. "I'll get Cody and Rex to talk with your command unit, and arrange some troopers to interchange. I'll expect I'll be leaving most of my men here, so the process should be smoother…" Raiko nodded weakly.

_Replenish._

She closed her eyes briefly.

"Thank you, Masters. If I may beg to be excused. I have some things to attend to at base." She bowed to Obi-Wan and Yoda. Thankfully, Yoda nodded – dismissing her.

Raiko practically fled, hurrying away from the pair of them – feeling their eyes on her back. She slowed her pace as she approached the group of troopers talking. Jest saw her first, and snapped a lazy salute. "General! How-" his happy greeting faltered, and he took off his helmet, as the others turned to her, all of them saluting her. Jest leant forwards slightly, frowning in worry. She could feel it radiating off of him – simple, earnest concern. _Even they thought she was weak, pitiable. _The knowledge didn't stop her selfish need. "Are you alright, General Omari?"

She tried for a smile, but failed. "I- I'm… I'll-" she stopped, and took a breath. "I'm sorry. Are any of you heading to base? I need to get back there. Now."

Jest's frown cleared slightly, and he looked over her head. She could feel Stix's attention on her, his own fretfulness centring on her. Cody and the two unfamiliar clones were looking between the three other men in confusion. Jive cleared his throat. "I can take her – you, ma'am, if that's alright?" his question wasn't entirely directed to her, and she heard Stix make a faint movement behind her.

"General?" Stix asked softly, and she turned to him, pulling a happier mask on her face for him. He didn't need anything else to worry about.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. For everything today." She said. She blinked back a sudden burn in the back of her eyes. "I'm thankful for all of you, actually. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't have done more. You have given so much. You're all very brave." Raiko bowed her head to them. Jest shifted in place, sending her a knowing look.

"Jive's called a transport, ma'am. We'll meet you back at base soon." Jest said.

Cody stepped forwards slightly, and she looked at him. Beyond the shield of his helmet, his emotions were also relatively guarded. But she could feel his slight confusion, his faint concern, and most surprisingly – a respect. "I'll make sure that the 212th merger happens smoothly and as quickly as possible, General Omari." He seemed like he was about to say something else, before he nodded, stepping back into place.

"Thank you." She said again, faintly.

A gunship touched down near them, Jive already heading towards the pilot, signalling something. She turned to Stix again. "Call me if you need any assistance."

"I should be alright, General." He replied instantly, straightening up.

She smiled in earnest this time, mouth pulling up despite herself. "I know you will be, Lieutenant. Gentlemen." She bowed her head to the others, and turned to leave.

_Embarrassing. Unprofessional. Emotional._

_There is no emotion, there is peace._

But all she felt was turmoil.

* * *

Jive shadowed her mad rush through the base – and perhaps it was a mark of how well her men knew her now, that when she neared the hospital – he cleared his throat. "He's not there, General. He was discharged as we left."

The relief she felt almost made her knees buckle, and she reached out slightly, just touching the wall to steady herself. "Oh." She said simply. "That's – that's good…"

"I believe he mentioned something about inspecting the aid supplies." Jive said quietly, stepping aside slightly so that her way down the corridor was cleared. Raiko just managed to muster a smile and projected every flimsy bit of thanks she could conjure. Her sergeant nodded to her, eyes knowing.

Raiko practically ran from the base, ignoring the tendrils of curiosity and all the other encroaching emotions that were bearing down on her as her barriers frayed and cracked. She could sense him now – practically lighting up the night with his Force signature. He was deep in thought about something, and though – as always – his emotions hit her with the force of an ocean tsunami with their depth, they were calm; none of the battle hysteria from the other men, none of the worry or pain or lingering horror from those who had passed on.

Just Clay.

He wasn't inside the cache, just outside, back to her as he examined the stars, his datapad inactive in his loose grip, helmet clipped to his hip. She wondered briefly what he was looking for, what he was thinking about.

"Clay." She called for him before she had even processed the thought, the _need_ to see his face, to see him unharmed. He turned, a brief flare of alarm and surprise turning quickly to a pleased relief; a relief that she couldn't help but echo tenfold – and she knew he could feel it, projecting it, as her emotional barrier broke a little more. His eyes widened slightly, but he bowed his head in familiar greeting.

"General. I'm glad to see you back." She just nodded, greedily drinking him in. Clay visibly hesitated before he spoke. "Are you… alright?"

She couldn't lie anymore. "No." she breathed, and took a step closer. "I'm sorry, Clay, I'm just-"

"Overwhelmed. Exhausted." He finished, and didn't move back as she got even closer, just kept watching her with gentle eyes.

_He was so good._

"What can I do?" he asked.

Raiko blinked in surprise. "I… well-" that familiar sense of guilt came back, the same one that haunted her whenever she had to take solace in somebody else's peace, someone else's stability. "Just... I mean, can I just- just rest here?" she asked weakly.

Clay watched her closely – and it was another mark of how much they had changed. There was no insecurity in his gaze now, no trace of the slight fear or indecision that he had when they had met. It had been a wonder to her, how well he had taken to being a leader – more than either of them admitted. "Of course. But what can _I _do?"

Raiko shrugged helplessly. He was far too intuitive. "Just be you, Clay. That's always been a cure." He said nothing else, and Raiko moved on tired legs to the outside wall of the storage unit, and slid down the cool metal until she was folded against it, hard gravel digging into her thighs. Clay stood pseudo guard, eyes moving between their surroundings, the stars, and her face; always searching.

Raiko basked in him, as she always did; but now, perhaps a little more selfishly, drinking from his aura, his strength, as she went through her own emotions; methodically, surgically dissecting and working through them and all the other feelings she'd unconsciously absorbed on the battlefield. It was the closest she got to what meditation should be, and perhaps it was that, mixed with real, bodily exhaustion that carried her to sleep.

* * *

She awoke in her own quarters the next morning – unsure how she had gotten there, but feeling better rested than she had in weeks.


End file.
